As I keep saying, I believe that the national implementation of the GDA will be far more challenging that most of you. The variation in quality of player. coach and facilities will be bigger than people think. the Clubs with real professional backing will have a massive advantage. Clubs affiliated to solvent pro teams - male or female. This is not going to be the smooth roll out that some see to suggest and I think the ECNL has a massive first mover advantage that teh USSF are going to take years to address at this rate.

I am sure whatever PF and Delco/CFC decide will be just fine. They may keep both names and uniform styles and just be known as affiliates of each other. PF is a US Bayren Munich affiliate too. so all of that has to come into play.

Luckily both are Adidas clubs,now. So, the winning brand isn't an issue. Should be interesting.

Not what I heard either. And, GDA/ECNL for PF; not an issue either. They will have both.

The spin doctors are out for sure trying to get some PF kids to move or trying to secure their PF spots. This has happened with other clubs as well. Remember those earlier posts that the composite teams would not happen (they did); that the GDA was not occuring (it did); and more. Read the old posts for fun (which teams were imploding, etc.). It's hilarious because they were mostly wrong.

Gotta read the tea leaves folks. Not everyone on the blog proclaiming to have information is accurate. Some are and some are intentionally misleading.

so if the GDA is about development and the best players, why does anyone really care who else is on any particular team? Why does anyone feel the need to spread any misinformation? Who is going to select the players? Is selection based on upside potential or current ability.?

Like most youth sports, all of this would be so much better if parents had as little input as possible.

ECNL said no to both GDA and ECNL, even if the merger happened between PF and CFC. The two clubs will continue talks with the goal of a merger in 2020-21. PF to decide if they will go the GDA route this week or remain in the ECNL.

So you are saying that ECNL told a club that was part of their league when it was an experiment that they had to choose? I find that hard to believe. Frankly, I'm not a fan of ECNL since the depature of the founder but think that the Adidas clubs should form their own league. Currently, ECNL seems to favor Nike clubs, only.

The ECNL told PF they cannot have ECNL and GDA. PF will decide this week if they plan to stay in the ECNL or move to the GDA. This info is public, ask your coach. Merger is on hold and at best won't happen until 2020. The info is correct. Now you are in the loop.

Nike supports both the GDA and ECNL. Adidas supports the MLS. If you care about women's soccer in America buy some Nike gear.

Not public and that is the spin. But, have Nike gear and Adidas and attend NWSL games more so than MLS. And support womens' soccer from youth to professional. Older Kids played in W Leagues. And, maybe that is the next option, for the Adidas clubs to move their own league. THAT would be a strong league. Check the current ECNL directors & staff - mostly Nike.

Yeah. I recall the original ECNL mission statement that the founder (she since moved into the MLS) was hopeful that the cost would be contained and that through its partnership with various sponsors including Nike that playing in the league would allow for the costs to decrease.

I doubt that 2 clubs in the entire list of those granted GDA's have both. So ECNL will let go let's say 60+ teams/clubs? Forgive me if I don't believe this. ECNL is a business and a business doesn't toss away that much business.

Yeah, I don't buy it either. I read it as well that two in addition to the original founding members of ECNL were granted both. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Unless, they really don't care about girls' soccer anymore and are banking on the boys.

I guess the NPL &/or USYS will be loaded for future games, huh? All the clubs that choose GDA will opt for those leagues no doubt. Crazy!

So wait. We are supposed to believe that out of 70+ clubs/teams granted GDA's only 2 are allowed to keep their ECNL status? Now, some GDA's are aligned with NWSL so I get those not counting toward ECNL as they are under that NWSL team's umbrella. But that's what? About 10? And about what 4 opted out already.

Now, these are all good clubs granted GDA's. So, all but 2 of these top soccer development clubs are potentially no longer competing in the ECNL at all?? That is what the soccer blogosphere is saying? This just seems illogical.

Just pointing that after I looked at the page of the ECNL directors as noted above, they are all men. No female ECNL directors. So, a League founded by a woman for women has no women on its current Board of Directors. How does that happen?

Good article. I'm looking forward to the commentary on that article in their blog area.

And, this article, resonates that facts and fiction are flying throughout many of these blogs. Of particular interest to me in the article was: "Rumors abound of member clubs {ECNL} being confronted with “us or them” ultimatums in an attempt to limit the losses to the Girls DA, and the uneven levels of play across the ECNL’s regions..." This is exactly what is being discussed in these posts immediately prior to the article link. Rumors abound.

So, will it happen? Yes. Will it happen by the fall? Yes. Will it have hiccups? Yes. Does ECNL want to relinquish it's premier product? No. Will the wars continue? Probably.

But as noted in the article and in some of the blog posts, USSF will be and has announced it's intent to be considered the top of the pyramid, flaws and all. Will we need a scorecard to keep up? Yes. And probably plenty of beer. Best of luck to all of your kids where ever they land.

FWIW, GDA did not even remotely attempt to work with ECNL in order to establish their league/goals. As such, ECNL is fighting back. Unconfirmed rumor is that in order for a team to have both GDA and ECNL, they have to be a perennial ECNL playoff team across at least 4 age groups (maybe more?). ECNL set that rule, obviously in an attempt to rustle the jimmies of those clubs wanting the GDA, in retaliation for being blown off by GDA.

ECNL is the bread winner for a majority of the clubs that have it.The money scenario for the GDA is unclear at the moment, so it may wind up being different for each individual club. ECNL teams that were granted their GDA are now figuring out that it would be a better decision to forego the GDA and stick with the financially sound ECNL structure.

There is no doubt that the GDA will eventually be the frontline for development. However, there will be some growing pains, especially as clubs have to make financial decisions. It's really not about the soccer. At the end of the day, these clubs are businesses.

PF is in an unusual spot. They do not have a major tournament. They spent their cash flow on acquiring two turf fields at USTC. They have to decide if the 'aura' of GDA is more valuable than the $$$ of ECNL. If they charge the same ECNL prices for their GDA, well, that kind of defeats the original intent of the GDA and you better believe that this will be exposed. Merging with CFC would solve their financial problems, but what's in it for CFC? They tried this before and it did not go well, too many egos. Do your homework.

Furthermore, GDA will let their players play school ball and return to the team after. But, will they be treated fairly when they return? Will they have to ride the bench in retaliation? Will it really be that petty? Remember, the GDA will be fostering a competitive environment, so will those players that have lousy school teams and are practicing with their GDA teams simply get tossed aside because a decent player decided they wanted to have fun playing high school ball? Will it truly be about the players? If a player decides to play for their school, do they still have to make GDA payments? No doubt this will create strife and a lot of headaches. There will be growing pains.

But, they will figure it out.The soccer community, as a whole, should be better off if they do it right.It's not really a question of 'if', but 'when'.

734 Refer to my post above. It depends how you choose to measure it. I dont see it as a cause for great celebration that the league most College type families kids play in, has the most College entrants. We are talking about a national league filled with middle class kids of mostly College grads

The ECNL satisfies the demand for kids that Title IX created and has done so my nationalizing the clubs/ leagues that provided it in the past. Costs have risen , the number of events has risen and the value of those events is at best questionable. I would like to see How many west coast kids come play on the east coast and vice versa to get a better measure of how much $$ we are spending in the ECNL to provide national exposure. Its hard not to feel that parents are simply subsidizing the Colleges in terms of showcasing. Instead of Michigan having to travel more, the ECNL is bringing the players to one location.

In terms of player QUALITY, which is another measure of success, are we any better than we were 10 years ago? i think we are in terms of the overall standard, but i dont think we are in terms of National Team type players. The ECNlL is not benefiting them greatly. The results of our Youth teams are not getting better.

In summary, the ECNL has provided a one stop shop for College recruiting, It is very possible that the ECNL has done a great job in that regard but not made strides in really improving the best players.

I am a big believer that the best players really improve thru individual commitment to their games. Players 10 years ago put the work in as well, but in a less organized environment.

The GDA is trying to really work with the top players, but they dont seem to understand that the number we have of those is not big enough to support a National league. yet. Maybe it will be in time. I keep saying that Players define the quality of any league and Coaches mold that. The more players you add to the GDA to make it National, the more you will dilute the quality and the Coaching. The more you will make it the ECNL with slightly different rules.

A real GDA has to be built around players who meet that standard and not making up numbers. That may be harsh, but if you look at say the 2000/2001 birth year in the North East, how many youth national team players have we produced in the last 3 years ? Bear in mind that includes what some see as a bias of having the FC Stars coach heavily involved in this birth year. not enough to support the number of teams we have thats for sure. If you believe that playing with better players will help some of the kids, then maybe it has benefits, but I am not convinced it will achieve its goal of creating better NT type players

757 was with you until yous HS comments. If GDA is doing it right , then kids playing HS will be at a massive developmental disadvantage and probably should not be playing when they return. If a kid is capable of playing HS soccer for 3 months and then coming back to a DA team and excelling them surely that shatters the myth about the benefits of HS soccer? The biggest reason that MAY happen is because , as outlined above, the GDA standards are not going to be that high initially.

I am no at all convinced that they will figure it out. ECNL is based on tangible rewards - getting in to College. The GDA is based on the desire to make a National Team. Making a College team in the extreme is showing something to one of 350 + coaches that they like/value. making a NT is doing the same thing to one of maybe 10 people. Those 10 people change, have differing ideas on the game and differing levels of influence. There is no $$$ payoff from making a NT. It remains unclear to me that the GDA can be more that a niche product for truly exceptional talent, if the goal is to produce exceptional players and teams. If the goal is simply to offer what the ECNL already does at a lower cost, then fine.

Jill Ellis made a comment I found very interesting that I agree with 100 pct. She said something like if a Club team has 25 players on the roster, then its probably not about development.

Penn Fusion, I predict, will look at the long term success of the DA with boys as far as a big club revenue and player number and quality driver. I think they will accept the spot. Plus those guys like working with the best players they can. They will lose their national level players to another DA if they don't keep it.

There will be growing pains, but if the merger does go through they will have the best of both worlds. They won't get a DA again if they give it up now and it turns into the money maker that the boy's has.

Look at PA Classics. I am not sure they even had a team at every age group before they snagged the DA in the first wave. Now they are loaded with teams. The girls programs are getting stronger in the younger ages and they will now explode with the DA. They would compete heavily for players from the western suburbs of Philadelphia if PA Classics DA is considered the best of the best. Forget the kids coming to West Chester from Lancaster and Harrisburg now. Reading will also go to Lancaster, Allentown? The kids who can't make PDA/Sky blue will also look at Classics. PA Classics is hoping Penn Fusion throws it back to the USSF.

As for costs. It will be the same as the ECNL they won't lose revenue. Didn't someone say the Spirit budget was $7k?

9:38 You are assuming that all GDA talent is created equally. You are assuming that the parent club will not accept their own kids at an egregious rate and treat all invitees/players with equal footing. You are assuming that deals have not been made for players on the current roster.

Realistically, if there are conservatively 50 GDA teams, each one cannot have a lone representative invite to train with the national team. So, essentially 95% of your GDA roster is there to help the chances of that rare 1 or 2 kids that actually have a modicum of talent on your individual GDA team. Which, in reality, is not really that different from what ECNL provides.

It will take a few years to establish if GDA is pumping out more quality talent than ECNL. And ECNL now has a fire lit under it's arse to go out and prove the GDA wrong.

Can they convince the players that do not make GDA to play for their NPL team or will those players go to Classics GDA or an ECNL team? Remember, they are supposed to take 1/2 of each age group, so that's quite a few players that will be unaccounted for and will need to play somewhere. Recruit and boot works at the younger ages, but the dichotomy is changing and it is unknown how PF will adapt without a partner.

From what I gather, nothing is happening this year, so might not be until 2018.

What anvil needs to fall on some of you? The GDA is happening. Most Clubs will be opting in. The ECNL strong arming won't work. They will relent. They will have to or THEY will loose money. Like it or not USSF and ECNL will be the new in-laws that tolerate each other for the sake of the kids. :)

Oh and the $7,000 budget floated out there by some one allegedly stated by Spirit (remember, take everything with a grain of salt...some of this may be to scare off people), IF that is accurate would most likely include all travel, etc. That is an estimated cost of soccer at any level anymore when you factor in travel expenses (transportation, hotel, food, etc.). So, while that may have some sticker shock, it's actually what you are probably spending right now from EDP, NPL, USYS to ECNL.

I'm grateful my daughter isn't really concerned about all of this . She's an ECNL player but only really cares about her academics but plays soccer and basketball for fun . I'm glad she's smart enough to see the big picture and realize what's really important .

Oh @7:34, ECNL has done a great job. But, it's the talent in the clubs that did it; not the league. The league provided the collective venues for showcases and the marketing, but it's the talent in the clubs that brings the coaches to the venues. So, that is the development/coaching and the kids not necessarily the League.

720 Nothing is wrong with taking both seriously to an extent but most need to realize they will never be playing for the WNT. They need to keep things in perspective. For most academics and education will secure their future not soccer.

720. This is always the position of the people whose children aren't as successful in the soccer field. They fall back to academics are more important and I am soooo glad my child is insightful enough to know where to pour her focus. The obvious counter is of course my kid is successful in both venues on the soccer field and in the classroom. Imagine that... and her soccer will propel her forward to a top school and someday hello set her up for a top career. Hope all the academic first kids are happy too but they didn't somehow make a more mature or in fact "loftier" decision.

741 My daughter is actually very successfull in soccer, basketball and academics. She doesn't need sports to help get her into a top school. Your attitude leads me to believe your daughter does . In that case I wish you and her good luck !

8:29 - why are you casting stones at another child? That makes you a jerk.

It's wonderful that you and your daughter have found a pathway. And, she is putting her academics ahead of her sports. There are plenty of us in that boat.

And, some have actually been able to get into very tough schools by combining both. You can't get in to a top academic school unless you have the qualifications academically and many just so happen to be coupled with top soccer programs as well. Another plus.

But, just because another child wants to dream of NT or beyond doesn't mean they shouldn't. What if that was your kids' aspirations? Don't diminish the dream of another child because it doesn't match yours.

6:59 pm - There is plenty of soccer out there so surely none of the clubs will suffer one way or another. Agreed that PDA has a proven track record, but so does PF. Don't know anything about Classics, but still think some kids will make the trip to PF because it is a proven product. Will be interesting to see.

As someone who has been driving my kids 1.5 hours each way for a total of 3 and sometimes more depending on traffic to give them the opportunity to play in the best situation for them I can tell you that most of us willing to drive that distance will drive past many lesser programs to get to a perceived best fit. It will be about the product as to whether kids continue to travel past one of the new DA programs to get to another.

For example: If Classics can bring up the level of their girls programs with coaches who are charismatic, run organized and robust training, and produce teams that are successful they will attract the central PA best. If their teams are perceived as lesser in development and recruitment opportunity and generally is perceived as lesser then people will continue to choose PF as the better product. It will be interesting to see how this develops over time. Classics has excellent facilities. I don't know much about their coaches and their history of girls development.

6:59PF has proven product. I don't think a central PA player will change to Classics just bc it's closer to home.Some may say that Classics has focused on the boys DA, the girls side has suffered, hence why central PA girls traveling to PF now7:34Read what you wrote. Who provided the venue and program for those talented athletes? I'm not saying that ECNL created the players, just saying that ECNL provided the conduit for the girls where other programs have not.

757 Nonsense. kids were recruited before teh ECNL existed. They still would be without it. The ECNL has done a great job of marketing the ECNL. The ECNL have dfone a great job of making money. Costs have risen dramatically and for what? Better coaching? debatable. better facilities? also debatable/ Cost have risen to pay for a marketing and to add to profits. As College tuition rises, the cost of soccer goes with it.

The ECNL is a tourament platform for Clubs to showcase kids in single venues for College coaches. It makes life easier for the Colleges, that the main thing.

8:08Yes it's money making.How can you argue the numbers of commits from the ECNL?Sounds like you've had a bad experience with a ECNL club?By the way, my daughter does not play ECNL, I have no skin in this except to see the accomplishments of athletes working through that venue.I can't afford it but would have sent my kids there if I could.Any central PA girls' parents on here willing to give your story as to why you're traveling to PF or other club?

7:57 I disagree PF is good at recruiting top talent not nesssaarily producing it .Those same talented recruits could easily go to PAC if it's more convenient and be just as successful . Their talent will speak for itself .

Because Tino tries to use his connections to make deals and recruit . It's not exactly a secret .Hes all about business and marketing .Now with PAC getting a girls DA talented players have another viable option .

8:48Are Tino's strengths a bad thing for players? Seems to me that reiforces the fact that they've provided great supportNot familiar with the PA landscape, are you saying that an existing PF player would leave for another DA program?

816 . If i nationalize the largest, most successful clubs, then how is it an achievement to have a lot of commits? Are Clubs like PDA committing a greater percentage of players now versus before? I doubt it. Dont fall for the marketing. You would EXPECT high volumes of commits. The marketing has worked, but when you have huge variation in coaching, in standards, in facilities, in size of area to draw from etc, Im not sure how you can attribute that success to essentially the Franchisor. A successful Dunkin Donuts is down to the people that run it and the area it is in. DD provide way more support than the ECNL does. The Clubs that are successful are that way becasue of the people that run them, not becasue of the ECNL

coduit to what? Coaches were talking to the Clubs and recruiting players. yes they made it easier - for the coaches. Parents foot the bill. The only kids helped by the ECNL are the mid level ones who may have attracted interest from schools that they would otherwise not. This is somewhat contradictory to the ECNL claims. In my opinion the ECNL does very little for the best players.

That's why I askI see the roster numbers are high. That's the money making side of things.I'd think the players that hardly see the field at game time would just leave on their ownBut then again, college roster numbers are that high or higher

Central PA parents drive their kids from/through Lancaster area to get to PF because it currently offers a better product than PAC. That product includes quality of training some of which is the trainer and much is the quality of the other players with whom a player trains. This increased quality raises the level of the training. In addition to being higher level, the training is more frequent at Penn Fusion. And this is a considerable difference. Now the DA will equalize that, but for now there is a big difference.

Level of competition: Talent aggregator and developer, ECNL, play more consistent, high level competition, and those kids will develop more readily from that experience. There are no more weak teams in the NE ECNL and the tournaments are showing that the teams are flighted higher. Yes there are individual USYSA and NPL teams that can compete with ECNL teams, but they no longer can find consistent high level competition to provide optimal development. The national league has several ECNL B teams and huge GD.

I have older children, and this ECNL aggregation is no different from the way it was in the past. Only difference is that the talent went to individual TEAMS that put out a consistently high quality product rather than specific CLUBS.

Over time, PAC may develop their trainers and aggregate talent and compete well with PF. However, in our children's last couple years, PF will probably see no competition in PAC.

I think for the first couple of years we will be back with big variability in quality of competition. The ECNL-> DA teams will be strong the de novo start ups will be variable. Wish my kid at this level was a couple years older or younger. Ours will just be caught in the growing pains.

Not sure how DA will equalize the training and coachingIs there additional coaching staff being added to PAC? A label will not change anything if it's the same personnel....What am I missing? The frequency of training will change yes

No they would not return for an untried product. These, by the way, are starter 90 minute type kids at PF. Big parts of the spine for 3 teams. Clearly, when they left PAC, they were looking to play at the highest level with the most opportunity for development and exposure. They seemed to have found it at PF and now, in the twilight of their career, I would doubt they would shake it up for untried PAC product.

The two 00 I think made a stop along the way at Strikers and then after a varying period of time made the transition to PF. All but one I think made the transition around u14.

I think some of the 02s and younger who are currently traveling to PF from Lancaster or reading area will be watching PAC closely to see if a shorter commute will return the same in the future. There may be a leak back in the next year or two, but most won't leave a good situation at PF for something untried. If there are younger bubble players not happy with play time or position or whatever, they may float back westward sooner.

1144 No they won't immediately be on the same level. They will play in the same league, with the same requirements for participation, but the level may be very different. PAC has let its older girls teams decline in favor of pushing the boys forward. Unless the kids come back who left, they won't be of the same level as PF.

That said, all of the kids who left would make an immediate impact at PAC. So if they do come back the levels between PF and PAC will, at least somewhat, equalize. Especially the 99 Goal scorer would bump up the oldest age group significantly. Coupled with the 00 midfielders there would be a real shift. They could be a package because they go to the same school. Soon, time will tell where this falls out.

Judging by the detail, some of you seem to be close to these clubsCan you tell me what happened to Hoffard? He's listed as coaching staff but doesn't seem to be coaching any teams.I would think he would have attracted players this coming fall.

11:44,I don't know if PAC will be on the same level, you will have to look at the club overall and if there will be defections from PF back. And Isn’t PF going to have a DA of their own so at this point the option is within the club.. If this is the case PAC will most likely draw from within and outliers who are at perceived lower clubs. Someone on the board mentioned that his daughter was encouraged or instructed by her recruiting coach to play DA, as DA is a new unknown the speculation that they will be fully ramped up and vetted by fall of 2017 seems like an over-reach.

There are definitely players looking in the area. Here's a post copied from U16 blog, some of you latest posters could probably answer

"Hoping and looking for some factual answers and experiences..My daughter wants to tryout for DA at PF. We technically could drive to Classics or Spirit instead.Other than travel expenses to the club, can I get pros and cons from any PF, Classic or Spirit parents?"

SPIRIT is associated with an NWSL club so I would give them the nod - all other things equal.

By the way - in all this for 2017-18 - and we saw it this year with birth year change - don't ASSUME you can project which kids your daughter will be playing with - in staying with and making your current DA team (say.....PF) vs going somewhere else

You don't always know what the other families are doing and who is making the jump from other clubs, even from tryout sessions.

Go into it KNOWING the makeup of the team for 2017-18 is a mystery - and be open minded to it.

12:16 not bunkI've heard the same message from many parents regarding the girls side.Many coaches coach both girls and boys. Only one coach per team anyway so yes only one at practice. Lesser tournaments, you got it...The older girls got the shaft but part of this was due to birth year changes too

1124 I would be stunned if anyone who watched the US in the U20 or U 17 World Cup would be happy with what they say. Either

a. we did not pick the right playersb. we cannot coach themc. the RoW has better talentd. none of the above

if a or b have any merit, then we should be concerned because the same people are currently running the GDA roll out

I read so many comments where the words "best" or "elite" are used to describe players. On a global level, If our so called best players are not capable of getting out of a group. or not capable of creating more chances than Ghana,do we have a right to call ourselves Elite? I think its relevant becasue I keep hearing what a wonderful job the ECNL is doing.

I keep repeating myself , that the success of any league starts with the players. As long as you allow the same people to identify what talent and potential are, not much will change. I have no confidence that the folks in charge know what it looks like and in some cases talent = the ability to pay.

Amen 12:34!!!!Same reason we like coaches to change when our girls are going through the ranks. Different philosophies, different looksHere's a personal example: my daughter has 3 coaches following her, they each see something they like in her, each a different thing. Her existing coach has decided to pick favorites and she's not one of them...she was last year.

PAC did not invest in the girls programs. Thy treated them like the boys B teams. Less frequent training. Sharing fields with 4-6 other teams, entering lesser events. Why do you think the best kids left for PF? Because they could get the same locally/ Nope. PAC 00 not even going to Jeff cup. Didn't go to CASL. Attending all its own little local tournament. I just looked at their results and they are declining. Might be the age change, but not headed in the right direction

My daughter had the same expereince with an ECNL club, Was highly regarded as a U15, was getting real interest from colleges and had some good contact, coaching change at u16 and she fell out of favor, basically a waste of a year at about $10K. Fall of 2016 started with a new club, new coach and recovered her recruiting interest. Came to find out that the U16 coach had alliances with another player for whatever reason and put her forward, also in talking with college coaches they asked if my daughter's club coach passed on their interest...he never did. So, good club, great coach DOC at U15, Same club, lousy coach (record plumetted under him with better players) U16, he was "re-assigned" but at that point we were unhappy with the way the DOC handled things as well, he has since go on to coach at a college. Can't stop the machine....

So eerie 1:07Her coach is also "forgetting" to pass on contact and interest to us...Luckily she is doing her own work and contacting coaches. She missed out on one opportunity for sure bc of the drop in communication.

Almost criminal to not pass on interest. It shows the power a coach has if you are expecting their support and engagement. My daughter's current situation is much better. College coaches actually say good things about her club coach.

I dont think "ignoring" the girls side and then getting awarded the ACADEMY designation jibe.

I think some PF parents that left are just knocking Classics ahead of the season beginning in fall - getting a head start on it, if you will - and disuading local talent from going there for quite obvious reasons

"Super competitive, toxic environment" mentioned above - beware of that. My daughter is in one, and wants out, which will happen. Although capable, she now does not want to pursue GDA, ECNL, etc. which she had started to do, but rather she wants to deescalate the soccer arms race to a level where she might be able to find the fun again. She was likely tracking D1, but now I will be surprised if she continues to play through the end of high school. This business is not cut out for everyone. A player can flame-out at anytime.

8:48 - and a very good coach advocating on behalf of his club and players is a bad thing? News feed, it's exactly what members/players/parents want to happen. Btw - You sound bitter. Let it go Louie, let it go!

PAC got the GDA because of geography and Christian Pulisic/BDA. One just needs to look at the results for these teams to see the decline relative to their competition over the last couple years. No player or their family who left PAC for PF has sour grapes. They were developed there by some great coaches. They all played a lot and in prime CM positions. The player and competition level wasn't ultimately there for them to continue to develop at an ideal rate and the USYSA format did not provide an ideal venue for exposure. Simply they outgrew the teams.

Being the best kid on the team never is an optimal developmental scenario. They all were hugely successful after leaving. The facts are that PAC are starting at a lower level than PF for next year. That is unless the unlikely scenario that the central PA kids leave their PF teams for a relatively unknown PAC situation play out.

PAC will likely catch up over time with PF if they provide a good product to persuade the kids from continuing their drive eastward. I hope that PAC is successful and provide an excellent venue for player development and exposure in the future. It is my personal opinion that they are starting behind PF for next year. No my kid is not playing for or trying out for PAC; this is jmho.

317 I agree 100pct. If the aim is development, no one should really care who else is on the team becasue they are all hand picked and above a certain standard right? It just goes to show that who wins the games is still the driver for most parents.

305 your hypothesis about best on a team assumes that top kids ONLY play in that environment. Thats not often the case. The real eltie player is often the best player on their Club team but probably trains with older , better players both male and female. Development is no limited to playing games on a Club team.

353 when do we get to see these "real" elite players. Are they getting scholarships to P5s? Will we see them in college? Or will they come out of the woodwork to tryout for the DA this spring and we will all be surprised? BTW several of the PAC->PF kids played/trained up and with boys.

317 what do you hope to get out of reading this blog? I don't get the holier than thou garbage you spew. I derive entertainment and potentially some information and enjoy other's insights on this site. The negative garbage I can do without.

317 that's exactly the point. Will there be a standard that is the same at PF and PAC? Or PDA and Cedar stars? and on on and on. I think there will be a big discrepancy in quality yet again just as it was beginning to even out in most of the ECNL. No I don't think enough players will be able to meet the "standard" as a result some, likely newer, teams will be populated with several substandard kids. The sub rules will work in favor of the teams that are less deep. Remains to be seen what the relative competitiveness turns out to be.

Not sure why any of this matters long term . These girls will go to college , play some soccer , need some mental therapy ,get a degree , get married , have some kids , end of story ! Parents need to stop being delusional about your little Mias . It's really sad !

535 so what do you expect to gain reading this blog? Other than some perverse zing over lauding your ananomous superiority over other readers and posters. Better get some of your prophecied therapy since you clearly possess some serious pathology.

Well 4:17 - i see your post as negative. Some seem to be attempt to steer or manipulate. When the posts are more inflamatory than informative (when they were informative), something is wrong. Let's stay informative.

Don't you think most kids that are good and have played together will stay together? For instance, if you have played with or against older kids in your club; have a relationship with them; are good (talent a given in this), won't you most likely be chosen for GDA over an unknown?

To the person the keeps using the word spin. Do you understand the meaning of spin, or to spin information? Nothing that has been written was spin. If a someone writes that PF has to choose GDA or ECNL how is that spin?? It was a fact that PF had to make a choice this week between GDA and ECNL. They went with GDA as most people thought they would. How is any of that spin??? I don't care about subject or whatever it is you people are writing about, but I haven't seen any example of spin.

I fully understand the use of the word and it's appropriate when the information is still being spewed out there that is incorrect, knowingly. Misinformation (intentional sometimes to make people think otherwise about their choices) is not cool. As someone posted, they probably read FB and believe info in it; propogate it; as well. I know someone reached out to my friend to try to get her daughter to leave PF to go to another GDA as a result. How many others? Spin and not cool.

What specifically are you talking about? What I read is clearly largely opinion and conjecture. I don't see much that claims to be authoritative. Isn't that the point of the blog. What I do see is a lot of people taking shots at others for contributing. Most of ehT I have read is entertaining. If you keep doing this there soon won't be any opinion or conjecture on here to which you can respond.

It is fair enough to "attack" a specific post's content. Attacking posters is unnecessary and will kill the blog . If someone puts forward- I think this will happen because... or other words that are the same thing then if you believe it and act on their opinion or conjecture that is on you. If such commentary prompts you to have a conversation with you doc as in -are you going to keep the ECNL or accept your DA spot so I can plan with my child accordingly. Then that's a positive outcome of reading the blogs. What you choose to do with the conjecture and opinion voiced here is your choice. Someone convinced in leaving a club to go to another based on information supplied here challenges belief. The only evil intent here is in posts that try an pin motives on people by attacking the posters and their children. You don't know why anyone posts. There may be a few who get perverse entertainment by intentionally trying to put forward information that isn't true. But really that is only fodder for further discussion and really is just entertainment itself. You really believe at face value everything put on here and would make choices based on these discussions? When blogs go to personal attacks usually the legitimate posters go away and only the few problem people will be left. The entertainment and any information that may lead to useful discussions between parents and doc/ coaches will be no longer.

here's an interesting exercise for someone. look at the top teams listed on got soccer. See how many are ECNL teams (sometimes it doesn't say specifically) look at the non ECNL teams history and see how they do when they play ECNL teams. Look how many are actually ECNL B teams (SAC United) The collection of talent has shifted substantially to the ECNL. How much will shift to the DA?

Are you serious? Nobody pays attention to GotSoccer points. ECNL teams don't play their full teams in non-ECNL showcases. Committed kids generally don't play; most times. This argument has been overplayed for years. Check the college committments and the NWSL drafts.

And by the way, the post says to compare results not points. The point of the post was to say that objectively, the ECNL has been largely (not completely as no aggregation will ever be) successful in aggregating talent.

Most of the kids I'm referring to already have commitments for Colleges. There is a misunderstanding that development is confined to Club practices. Its not and Im not referring to pirate lessons. If a kid wants to practice more, at most Clubs she can.

803 what are you referring to?First you say development isn't confined to club practices. Ok that's obvious. Then you say but the kids can get more practices within the club. Ok on that too. My kid trains with older kids and sometimes plays with them and also trains with boys. Ok with you there too. But still not seeing your original point which was what exactly?

410 am the point was in ref to people who think that development is limited to the x days a week currently offered by the current Club with players of the same team/ age. A lot of comments int the last week or so seem to think GDA is going to revolutionize development by offering one extra practice. My point is that the extra commitment the DA is institutionalizing is already what many dedicated players do. i.e. no real changes for the very player they are targeting.

If you child is dedicated to the sport then I am not convinced that the DA is much of a change if any.

It's not just the add'l day of practice, but what they can do in the practices. Instead of going over and over things that some aren't getting, they can move the team forward with higher level drills, more film, more situational training, etc.

1212 Except the DA has NOTHING to do with team. Its all about individual development. This whole thing is being set up by the USSF to find a handful of special players across the nation. As more and more Clubs have meetings to roll out their plans, it also becomes clear that there are some myths out there.

1. its not necessarily cheaper than ECNL. 2.HS soccer is not really allowed. 3.Travel looks worse given the one game per weekend set up

I still dont see what it really adds. Its a program for kids who really want to be full time soccer in and environment where full time soccer has almost no additional benefits.

825 Im not a DA hater. I would love it to be successful in it stated goals, I just dont see how it can be in the current set up. To work properly, you need a thriving Womens pro league and Clubs willing to pay to develop young players . Right now there is no reason for a GDA. It adds nothing transformational to the current landscape. USSF could spend the same amount of money on full time staff scouting existing leagues, or doing more Regional camps. This whole thing feels like a huge reaction to satisfy the ego of a few people. Really look at it. What are teh significant prgramming / developmental differences to the ECNL ?

No Reentry vs Hal rules - Could argue that any system that gets more kids playing time is better in the Dev phase

One game per week vs 2 - less is better, but interesting that the rules go out the window come tournament time

Better practice to game ratio - Im not sure that this will be the case at all Clubs. At some the practice to game ratio will not change at all.

Thats about it. There may be a few new coaches, but I doubt many. There will be kids who decide to play HS and therefore dilute the pool.

Im not a hater, Im just looking at it objectively. I would love someone else to point out any major differences I have missed.

2:10 & 5:35 - Amen! I have said it before on this blog. I used to find it filled with great information. Then it became filled with such soccer "superiority" that it became monotonous. I switched to a different soccer blog with more college info.

4:17- This post is just laughable. The discussion on whether one believes the GDA will be worthwhile vs ECNL and some conjecture is great. Constant posting over the same discussion filled with opinions on clubs, etc, gets old.

What I hope to get out of this blog is useful information. And sadly, there is not that much of it anymore. I check in every other week or so hoping it would change, but sadly it hasn't. What I find most amazing, is that most of the kids who are playing at a high level are seeking out college recruitment. That is what I would like to see on this blog. If they are already committed, then continuing their development is key so they are ready to play at the collegiate level. IMO they can do that in either league ECNL, GDA, whatever.

If this blog was for younger aged players, then the conjecture and opinions on what is better would definitely be more helpful. But at the age that this blog is supposed to be about, we are talking about ONE year.

9:24 - Amen. It was interesting to see how many were speculating about the default of the GDA and which teams would be backing out, etc. Pat's, Cubs, Cavs, Leicester City, FC - the sporting gods are saying don't count anything out anymore. Longshots are vogue.

924 . Blogs are a function of contributions. I would say more for debate than for dissemination of information, If you want a topic that interest you, then you could always start one. The GDA debate is interesting to me, more becasue very few on here are actually debating anything. My issue is that every opinion is interpreted with a personal slant that often is just not there. Whether our kids do it or not, there are certain facts that are coming to light that are very different from the initial perception. I believed that kids would go to the GDA when faced with a choice simply becasue of cost. It was initially a big selling point from the USSF. It was often cited that the boys was free. I dont think this is the case at many Clubs. Its interesting to note that some DFAs will be free and others may be more than the equivalent ECNL offering. Thats news to me.

We then heard that HS was grandfathered. Its not.

I still thin that several Clubs are debating the pros and cons of doing the GDA.

Speaking for us here lately...I posted about our factual experiences with recruiting only to be belittled by others with different experiences.If only parents would understand there's no "mold" to this recruiting thing.Just do what you can, when you can, if you can and do your best!Not about you but about your daughter's future!

It may be one year for you, but it is 2 for many of us and they are a crucial two years.The recruiting thing is different based on the players abilities, recruitability, academic aspirations and soccer aspirations. It is highly personal and there is no one size fits all.

The highest level kids are being recruited into the power 5. They may or may not have soccer aspirations beyond college. Most of the lower level kids see soccer as a great character building activity that they love and may help them become better people and even gain entry into a school which would be challenging for them on other merit alone. all great aspects of the youth soccer experience.

I have one of each type and all information has been largely helpful. thanks to the contributers.

11:45 I completely understand. That is the reason I have not frequented this blog as often. One would think reading this blog that every parent on here has a NT caliber player. We all know that isn't true but it certainly appears that way.

11:44 thank you for the lesson on blogs, I wasn't aware..... My point is that there are so many readers of this blog, I know I am not the only one that has been turned off by the vocal minority. Maybe if people weren't made to feel less when they truly are just looking for their soccer kids to grow as a player, attend college, play some soccer and then proceed with the rest of their lives. I am sure these are talented players we are talking about. But I know the atmosphere on this blog is very "soccer-uppity".

No offense to anyone, but we all know there are very few truly elite players.....talented, definitely! But truly elite...not as many. Shame all those parents don't always feel welcome to post.

116 . They do. Problem is no one is going to start a post wit. My kid is elite.. I have posted several things i know first hand from direct NT experience only to be told by other that its not true :) AS a parent of a kid who like all the others is just trying top do her best on the field and in the classroom, I dont take any of this stuff personally. I know where my kid stacks up and I know the challenges she faces. Does not mean that others face the same.

I think that people read posts in very different ways. What i see as factual you may see as condescending. etc. I think its rarely intended that way.

I dont see it as soccer uppity at all really, just everyone's level and experiences are different and with no context, its hard to relate It would be a lot better if every post was accompanied by - Parent of ECNL player or Parent of NPL starter etc. Wont happen becasue people like the anonymity...Unless your name is Eric Harris

Having watched the NPL teams of PF and MF I don't think they are good enough to put out a quality team in both DA and ECNL without further recruitment. There maybe other clubs that are deep enough, I don't know, I was just providing information.

That is a strange measuring stick. No predicting how a new ECNL squad would fare. You know some kids don't make a current ECNL team because the slots are filled and move elsewhere. If there were spots, then they would stay. So, now, there will be spots and some kids will be moved up or over (from other ECNL teams that don't want to play GDA not that they couldn't). How many people turned to another show in the 3rd quarter of yesterday's SB game? Why not let it play out for a year?

I am in an ECNL club. We have kids wanting to come out all the time. And, you would get more because you have the carrot stick of GDA as a possible goal. Silly stuff. ECNL should respect the clubs that helped it reach it's pinnacle and give them the opportunity. Sounds punitive.

7:41 - what's wrong with add'l recruiting to fill in spots (as the above people have noted)? That is how it works especially at this age. When the word goes out that this team or that team has spots to fill, kids that were looking to move and waiting for an opening then do so.

I don't agree roster 1-5 ECNL kids are hoping to stay in or get a sniff at national pool. They will have no reservations in joining GDA. They will open ECNL spots for others inside or outside the club. The 5-18 who love High school and aren't important enough for the clubs to allow to join after HS season will have to make a choice. many will choose High school especially if seniors. They may in fact help fill rosters of clubs with both GDA as there will be available roster spots on ECNL as the best move up. They may make up roster 1-5 instead of 5-18 in that scenario.

a 10 month season makes this inconvenient for College coaches. Its funny the way people just assume interchangeability between GDA players and current ECNL ones. All adds substance to my claim that there is almost no difference in the ability required to play in either one. So once again, if the players are essentially the same then what difference does it make if we call it ECNL or GDA or ABC ?

lets play the results game. At some of the Clubs that have both, the deciding fator iin a best of three series between the top GDA team or top ECNL team my solely rest on whether one or 2 top kids decide to play HS or not. Think about that.

It wont be for every family but a good percentage of what you call the "top" ECNL players (I dont distinguish rostered players from one another) will indeed be playing Academy soccer in the fall - or in November at the latest.

The tricky part - as has been described here - will be running sessions in the fall MINUS the HS players - and mixing them in after the HS season finishes

11:29 off base? I thought I was asking a questionThe HS play is not going to be accepted, no matter what all the rumors and wishes are.Plus, do you really think the girls that would choose HS soccer will have an even playing field once they join?Are you familiar with the ecnl roster? Have you talked to the girls that seldom or never see the game field? "You" may not look at player rankings, but they're there

1240 100 pct correct. You can pick HS and hope there is a spot for you when HS ends,but you will not be allowed to attend GDA practices and cannot be part of it.This may be a non issue for teams that do not have enough players. Or for teams who intend to roster the max numbers but if I were a kid who had decided to do GDA, I cant say i will be happy if some kids parachute in and start taking time away from those who have committed full time. I expect anyone who tries to do both will be hit hard by the USSF and the other members.

You can't pick high school and then shoot for a spot in the spring. DA programs won't do it. You are either in or out. USSF might give an option, but it is one that quality DA programs don't take. It causes way too many problems.

My kid wants to do GDA because High school soccer is crap and she wants to make sure she is as good as she can be for college. She is committed to a top power 5 and is a top player on her ECNL team. Not crazy for her to hope to get a national look someday.

4:07 I agree with you - forget the HS soccer thing for a bit, for some girls that's a game changer I get. My girl loves it and her team almost as much as her club team and they are not a very good HS team middle to bottom of the table. That will be enough for some kids to skip GDA and that'son them.

Just remember this age group is filling YNT player pools not NT player pools. When they go to college and if they play D1 and stand out they will be on the radar. There are not many teenage girls that get a full NT look. At the youth ages they go by what the coaches say as they get older they have D1 stats and every game is on film.

So I hope she keeps dreaming, pushing herself to the edge and develops those skills because the player pool gets a lot bigger when she gets to college gone will be the days of the club coaching helping the way for some it will be all on the players for everyone to see.

8;17 here again - when I say club coach helping - what I am saying is that the coach can't push the entire team even if everyone is great he still has to make a selection and push only a few based on his/her opinion. Nothing wrong with that just a fact.

817 the foundations a player lays when young usually determine the path they take. The problem with many of the comments here are they seem to assume that you can "catch up". In an ideal soccer world you cant. a year invested at years old is worth far more than a year invested at 17.

In the current US soccer world, it is possible to catch up because , quite frankly, the technical standards here are pretty low. Athletic late developers can catch up to the pack with a bit of effort. becasue we are not collectively investing much in our kids at a younger age. The GDA in time may well change that if its done right.